Time Away
by allhugs13
Summary: This is about the relationship between Elena, Stefan and Damon. Who will she finally pick?
1. Chapter 1

First off let me say, this story will not follow the plot line of the books or of the tv show.

**Info****you****should****know:** The story will start a few days after Klaus finds out Elena is still alive in Mystic Falls only he and Rebekah have to leave suddenly when they find out the vampire hunter (Eric) has caught on to their trail again but Klaus promises Stefan he will be back and Elena will die, and trying to run will not help. Stefan tries getting Elena to leave but she says no, she doesn't want to leave. She knows Klaus won't be back for a while and she wants to spend as much time with her family as she can. Only Stefan and Elena have any idea that Klaus was there and she wants to keep it that way.

- Elena POV

Elena is sitting alone in her room. She's afraid again now that Klaus knows she's alive but at this point there's really not much she can do. So she and Stefan decided to keep it between them. She was tired of people dying for her and Jenna was the last straw. She refused to let someone else she loved die.

As she sat on her bed she couldn't help but remember the summer she spend looking for Stefan but now that he was back, things just didn't feel right. She couldn't pin point what had changed but she knew part of it was Damon. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Had her feelings changed? She knew she loved Stefan, he was her first love but part of her wondered if they were meant to last. Maybe their relationship had run it's course.

There was a knock on her door that shook her from her thoughts. "Come in." She said. Stefan walked in and sat next to her on the bed.

"You okay?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around her. Kissing her head gently.

"Yeah." She reassured him. She didn't want to tell him what she was thinking, not until she was sure how she felt.

"Okay, you ready for school?" he asked. She plastered a fake smile on her face that he couldn't see through.

"Sure," She started to say. "But I left my english book at your house, so we need to pick the up first."

"I'll meet you in the car then." He told her.

The car ride to Stefan's house was silent. But Elena felt a little excited thinking she might see Damon, it had been a few days since the last time they talked.

Stefan waited in the car while she went into the house. "Damon?" She called. He appeared in front of her with in seconds.

"What are you doing her?" He asked, a glass of blood in his hand.

"I came to pick up one of my school books." Her book was sitting on a table near the front door. She set it there last time she was over. "Just wanted to see how you were doing, I haven't seen you much since Stefan came back." She told him with a small smile on his face.

He looked her over before walking towards the parlor. "I'm fine. Just happy my brothers okay. Things good with you two?" He asked, not really wanting to know the answer. He sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, things are good. I really missed him." She responded.

"Good." He said with a hint of pain in his voice, he was hoping she didn't hear. "You better get going, don't want to be late for school."

"Yeah, I'll see ya later." She smiled at him before running back to the car.

-Damon POV

Damon sat on the couch. He finished off the blood in his glass happy that Elena had finally left. Now that Stefan was back, things were going back to normal. He just didn't know if he could live the way he was before. He was in love with Elena and watching her with Stefan just make it hurt 20 time worse. And he loved his brother to. He didn't want to have this hate towards him and he did not want to come between Elena and Stefan anymore.

She had said it herself, she loved Stefan not him and he was a fool to think that would ever change. The only thing left to do was leave. Get away from his brother and Elena. It wouldn't stop the pain but at least he could deal with it on his own without effecting everyone else. Most people though he was just a cut throat killer but that was a face he put on for other people. Part of him loved to kill but there was more to him then just that. It was just easier to flip the switch and cut off emotion, and that's what he'd been doing until he met Elena. She made him feel again. Thats why he had to leave. He did want to leave Elena but he know Stefan, Bonnie, and Caroline would protect her, and he would always be one call away. Maybe this time away would help him get over her? That was wishful thinking.

His mind was made up, after seeing her just now he knew what he had to do. So he packed a bag and was about to leave but knew she would hate him if he didn't at least explain or say goodbye. So he wrote her a letter explaining it all. He left one for Stefan as well and instructed he give the other letter to Elena. And that was it. He was out the door and out of Mystic Falls with in minutes.

-Stefan POV

Stefan had just gotten home after dropping off Elena. He could tell there was something she wasn't talking to him about. There was a gap between them but he didn't know how to fix it. He wondered what happened while he was gone. Maybe Damon knew? They had seemed to get closer after he left, which bugged him a bit.

"Damon?" He called for his brother but there was no answer. He started looking around the house when he found two letters, one for him and the other for Elena. He read the letter and he knew. He knew that Elena and Damon's friendship had grown and he was surprised at how jealous it made him. He wasn't worried about Damon and Elena before but now he wasn't sure. So he decided to keep the letter from Elena. He wanted her to think Damon had just left without saying goodbye. He knew it was wrong but he hoped it would stop Elena's feeling for Damon. He couldn't let her go.

So what do you guys think? Good? Bad? Please review and let me know! :D


	2. Chapter 2

-Elena POV

Elena was laying in her bed thinking about Damon and Stefan again. Yesterday things between Stefan and her felt off and awkward. She need to talk to someone about what she was feeling for Stefan and Damon but of course no one wanted her with Damon. Should she talk to Damon? Or would that just make everything more confusing? She knew how Damon felt about her but did she feel the same? "Ugh!" She pulled the blanket over her head. Why do things have to be so damn confusing.

She loved Stefan but there was something about Damon that she just couldn't let go of…..

She finally decided she wanted to talk to him, not about her feelings for him but she felt this need to just talk to him.

She finally got out of bed and started getting dressed. Stefan would be there soon to pick her up.

-Damon POV

Damon planed on getting a lot of distance between himself and Mystic Falls but the farther he got, the harder it got. He was afraid if he went to far and Elena needed him, he wouldn't be able to get back in time. So he found a hotel a few towns over. He figure that would be enough space between them for now. It had already been a day and he missed her. He had to keep reminding himself that he loved his brother and Elena, and he did not want to be in there way anymore.

He looked down at his phone for the tenth time in the past few mins. He though she would have called by now, but maybe she was so mad she didn't want to talk to him. He though it might happen but he hoped she would understand where he was coming from.

He never though being away from her would be this hard. More then once he had turned to go back but he never did. He finally deiced the only reason he'd go back is if she wanted him. If she decided she really did love him. Otherwise being around her and Stefan was pure torture. Always wanting but never being able to have.

-Stefan POV

Stefan picked Elena up for school. When she got in the car he could tell she was lost in though again. He was just hoping she wasn't thinking about Damon. Maybe he should tell her now that he left?

"There's something I need to tell you." He began, she looked at him with a quizzical look. "Damon left." He watch her face as different emotions flashed by. He could tell she was confused and upset and angry.

"Left to where?" She asked.

"He didn't say." Stefan told her, trying to give as little information as possible.

"How do you know he left? Maybe something happened to him," She began but Stefan quickly cut her off.

"He left a note. He said he was tired of the drama and that he was leaving." The lies burned coming off his lips. If she though Damon didn't wan to be there or be around her any more, maybe she would drop it. He was a little worried she might call Damon or try to find him.

"Oh….I see." Elena said. Her voice was full of deep sadness.

"Don't worry, this is just part of what Damon dose. He'll be fine and you and I still have each other which is what really important, right?" He asked.

"Of course." she told him, giving him her best fake smile.

-Elena POV

In all of her classes Elena was distracted. She couldn't stop thinking about Damon. How could he just leave her like that? Tired of the Drama? She was having a hard time trying to decide if she was sad or angry. She was starting to lean towards anger. She though her and Damon had some kind of connections but maybe she was wrong? Maybe he was just good at faking his feelings? Was he ever telling her the truth about his feelings for her?

By the end of the day she decide he had done her a favor. He helped her pick. She dedicated to fixing things between Stefan and herself. If Damon wanted to leave, then she would just forget about him. She would try…

oooooooo

Well my lovelies, what do you think? Good? Bad? Intriguing? Please, review! I want to know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Damon POV

Damon was sitting on the couch in his big hotel room. The room was dark except for a line of light that crossed the room from the crack where the two curtains did not meet. It had been a month since he left Mystic Falls. He didn't think it would be this hard trying to say away, but every day he missed her. He was depressed and kept wondering if not being in her life was better then watching her and Stefan. But she still hadn't called and thats was a hint he could not ignore. If she wanted him there, she would have called. She knew it was better for everyone if he was out of the picture. Love triangles never really work out the way you want them too.

There was a knock on the door that surprised Damon. No one knew where he was. Maybe it was the wrong room? He walked to the door and when he opened it, he tried to slam it back closed but she stopped it.

"Is that any way to treat an old friend?" Katherine asked, forcing herself into the room.

"What do you want Katherine?" He asked as he sat back down on the couch, picking up the bourbon glass on the table in front of him.

"Awwwwww…poor Damon, all depressing and pathetic over Elena." Katherine said with a smirk.

"We both know your just jealous Stefan and I moved on. Now you're all alone. Now what the hell do you want? I don't feel like dealing with your crap today."

"Fine. I just wanted to check on you. I was surprised you left with Klaus still out and about after Elena." She sad down on the bed.

"Thats why I didn't go very far. Plus Klaus is on the run. He won't be back for a while."

"You really think running away is going to help?" Katherine asked.

"Oh wait, I get it now. You want me to go back. You want me to be in the middle so you can sneak in and take Stefan for yourself." Her smile dropped and she looked away.

"So, then we could both have what we want."

"Yes, but I'm not going to do that to my brother or Elena, regardless of how happy it would make me." Damon said. The sadness in him voice was heart breaking.

"Whatever. You know things will only get worse the more time you're aways from her." She stood up and left.

Damon knew she was right but at this point. What other options did he have?

Elena POV

In the past month, things between Stefan and her had gotten much better. They were actually getting back to the way things were before. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about Damon. She missed him. She tried to keep him out of her thoughts be he always managed to find a way back in. She had a lot of memories linked to Damon, and thats not really something a person can just forget.

"Elena?" Stefan called from the shower. He was still getting ready for school when she got there. Seems he woke up late.

"Yeah?" She responded.

"Can you bring me some cloths?"

"Oh sure!"

She walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of pants and shirt. She was walking towards the bathroom when she remembered he would need underwear as well or he'd be going commando. She quickly grabbed a pair but stopped when she saw a letter with her name on it, she could tell the hand writing belonged to Damon. He was the only one she knew who wrote E's that way. But why would Stefan have a letter with her name from Damon? She set down the cloths in her hand and pulled out the letter. It was unopened thankfully. After opening it herself she began to read.

_Dear__Elena,_

_ I wanted to said goodbye to you in person but I don't think I could have left if I had. It's no secret how I feel_

_ about you. And over this summer, searching for Stefan, those feels have only grown. Every time I see you_

_ the world stops. I know how corny and stupid that sounds but it's true. And every time I see you with Stefan a _

_ part of me breaks. I love my brother and all I want is for you both to be happy and I know I just keep getting in _

_ the way of that. You told me it would always be Stefan, so I think the best thing to do is leave. I know, and you _

_ should too, that I will never stop loving you. Just know that I am always here for you, when you need me just call. _

_Love always, _

_Damon_

A tear fell from Elena's eye. He hadn't just left. He left for her, because he didn't want to be in a the way. He left because he loved her. Why did Stefan have this?

"Elena?" Stefan called walking into the room. He looked at the letter in her hand.

"Why?" She asked. "Why do you have this?"

"I….I….." Stefan really didn't know how to answer.

"This letter is mine but you kept it from me. You made me think he left because he didn't want to be around me anymore. But he left because he loves us both. He left because he did not want to be in the middle any more." Her voice was full of anger. Stefan had lied to her.

"I…..I couldn't lose you." He finally answered. "When I came back, things between us were not the same, and I could tell you and Damon had gotten closer. So when he left, I wanted you to hate him a little." He finally admitted.

"You had no right to keep this from me. He left so he was not in the way of us but he wasn't the one who broke us up, you are. You lied to me and thats not something I can just look past. I never would have guessed you would hurt me like this Stefan." She grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. Now she knew who really loved her. Damon was willing to give up his own happiness for her and Stefan to be happy. That was the kind of person he was, and that was why she loved him. Once she got back home she pulled out her phone to call Damon.

Stefan POV

Stefan sat on his bed, half naked. What had he done? He was so worried about Damon breaking up him and Elena, but he was the one he ruined it all.

ooooooo

So? You like? Please review! Review give me that push to keep writing! And a big thank you to the few who have reviewed!


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